North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Counterculture Family, and How I Survived Both

by Cea Sunrise Person

Genres: Nonfiction, Book Club

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published December 30, 2025

About the author

Author of the bestselling memoirs North of Normal and Nearly Normal. Wife, mom, friend, dream believer.

Reviews

[Courtney Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a wild ride! This memoir was definitely full of entertainment, the characters so outrageous, it was hard to believe it was a true story. What an incredible life Cea lived, and I can’t believe how she was able to turn her life around so well in the end. I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this book, but am very happy to have read it.

[Sophia Da Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing memoir! Could not put the book down. Cried 3 times, stayed up until 2am reading. Can’t wait to watch the movie.

[Gwyneth P · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 no notes

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Survival Stories that take place in the Wilderness and of Memoirs. Her survival story is a recollection of her adolescence with her untraditional lifestyle.This is a nice combo of both. It’s a true account of Cea Person and her life from childhood to adulthood while living in a dysfunctional family with an unorthodox upbringing. Her story begins at a young age moving from various locations in a nomadic fashion with her mother and her Grandparents among the Canadian Wilderness. Her life is journey following her mother throughout failed relationships, drug use and instability, while struggling with her own insecurities, sexual abuse and her quest for a normal life. Her story is that of independence and self discovery.

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and well told.

[Samantha Babenek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy & sad, but well written. Hard to put down once I started.

[Dina Kliuchareva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one hell of a memoir — a great addition to the likes of “The Glass Castle” and “Educated”. Filled with all the triggers one can imagine, though — not a light read.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely could not put this book down (besides for the week I spent procrastinating finishing the final section), and it’s been a minute since i’ve found that in a novel. I’m so glad that i happened upon it while passing a “two for twenty” deal at my local bookstore.

As a soon-to-be 18-year-old who has grown up in British Columbia, Canada my entire life, since I have been aware of marijuana it has been legal. Therefore, it always strikes me when a piece of media set in a different country or time makes reference to marijuana being illegal; this memoir again brought this foreign concept to my mind, and had me thinking about it in a different light. Person not only explores the negative consequences of having marijuana being an illicit drug, but also the dangers and real risk of dependency the substance poses for users - a fact often left undiscussed today. Her work also explores the concept of ‘nature versus nurture’ in the ways in which she seemingly rejected her unorthodox upbringing while others in her age and circumstance lost themselves to the chaos, but not without still having deep ties she had to fight to break later in life to avoid being completely lost to the same vice as her mother. The novel too makes the reader consider the relationship between man and nature; the choice between fleeting wonder, spiritual awakening, or complete societal rejection many individuals face when faced with the wild (and the choice between it being a challenge to concur or a teacher to call home). Person also explores sexual abuse in a raw, unfiltered light that brought as much twists and turns to my stomach as it did tears to my eyes. One moment even gave me literal goosebumps at the mention of the infamous ‘Highway of Tears’.

I absolutely adored this book, and have no doubt it will stick with me.

[Mary Kanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great memoir. If you liked the books Educated or The Glass Castle, then you’ll enjoy North of Normal.

[Alexandra Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking yet triumphant.

[Tara]

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[Knudsenem · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a hard book to read! Heart-breaking, shocking, unbelievable. Full of resilience. The end had me in tears. What a brave story to tell.

[Mary-Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to read, very heavy content.
A bravely written memoir of a now content woman, who suffered more than anyone should in just her childhood alone.

[Bri Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good don’t get me wrong it just wasn’t really my cup of tea and it took a little long to read. This is a very interesting book though with an interesting writer.

[Amanda Getson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and what a bizarre and eye opening look into how some people live! I cannot even imagine all the things Cea experienced.

[D. Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A raw and riveting description of a 70’s wilderness and drug laden lifestyle. Also a story of family trauma, mental illness as well as resilience and survival.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Interesting and sometimes very sad. Love the way she told her story it felt like I was along the wild ride with them. Can't wait to watch the movie!

[Eavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So harrowing and so readable. I just couldn’t put this down. Nice to read about a mother similar to my own, and the crazy stories that come from that. Wish there had been more written on her adult life and what it’s like to grow up the way she did and end up in West Van of all places, but still such a solid memoir and a great great airport book.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing this child survived! And she did!!
Loved the ending!!!

This should be on the top of a summer to read list.
Beats out my previous must reads of the summer because it’s a true story.
Part enchanting. Part sorrow. Excitement, and happiness.
✌🏽🫶🏽

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brutal to read. The details in parts were unbelievable that they were remembered by a very young child.
The ending was rushed and came out of nowhere. Many others compared this to The Glass Castle which I found to be more believable and heartfelt.